EL CATSCASP Certification of Advanced Training and Specialization in the Assessment of English Learners

Proposed Requirements:

1. School Psychology Credential2. Two years practice3. Documentation of 15 hours of training

(minimum of 3 hours in each area):• Second Language Acquisition• Educating English Language Learners• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Perspectives• Bilingual Assessment

4. Attendance at 16-hour CASP workshop5. Comprehensive case study to be scored

by two reviewers

Historical Context in the Assessment of English LearnersHistory of psycho-educational testing

with English LearnersFederal laws protecting English LearnersKey California court cases History of bilingual educationFive main types of instructional

programs used to teach English LearnersImpact of Proposition 227

Impact of Cultural, Linguistic, and Educational Factors on Learning

Importance of “opportunity to learn”Critical information needed for EL student

Educational history of student Effectiveness of prior instruction Linguistic factors Degree of acculturation of family and student Socioeconomic status of family

Parent interview Practical tools

Training and Working with Interpreters

Bilingual/bicultural specialistsBasic definitions Role of interpreter Three-tier model of interpretive

processGuidelines for training interpretersLimitations of interpretive process

Tier II Data Collection and Intervention Planning

Ecological data collection Use of BICS/CALP conceptual framework Progress monitoring of EL students and

assessing Response to Intervention Use of naturally occurring data CBM methods Creating new methods to monitor

progressCase study

Tier III Assessment

Need for “outside the box” thinkingReview of important concepts regarding

test construction and test use with ELsNon-test based assessmentTest-based assessmentAdvantages/disadvantages of newer tests

purported to be fairer for English LearnersCase studies to illustrate key points

IEP Development for English Learners

Initial stepsWriting appropriate goals and

objectivesLegal requirementsPlacement issuesInstructional implications

Report Writing

Necessary components for legal compliance

Traditional styleThematic style

Final Case Study Review

Required components of case study

Model case study, including sample report

Scoring criteria